Six's Shadow
by PrometheanA293
Summary: A 5-Part Series. All her life, all Rosenda A344 wanted was to be the best. This especially meant beating out her rival, Spartan II Linda-058. However, during her internement on Reach, a mission given to her by Dr. Catherine Halsey forces her to place all of the aspects of her life into perspective, including her place in the galaxy. Rated T for language and violence.
1. Six's Shadow Chapter 1

"It's alright, Rosie. You can come out now." Dr. Halsey's voice rang out through the underground lab that was now vacant aside from the single member of Noble Team, A SPARTAN who went by the name of Jun A266.

"Doctor? Who are you talking to?" Jun asked through the filter of his helmet that permitted him to talk to people out of his MJOLNIR armor.

"Jun, I'd like to introduce you to someone very special to me. She has been my personal bodyguard during my internment here on Reach through the Covenant invasion. Her name is Rosenda A344, but I call her Rosie. She's a SPARTAN like yourself. C'mon out, Rosie." Dr. Halsey called out in my direction.

In accordance with her command, I stepped out from the shadows that concealed my armored self. I took off my burgundy helmet so that this Jun character could see my face. This prompted him to do the same, shouldering his sniper rifle, much like the one that I had hidden away in my previous hiding position. We each shook hands and offered a smile in each other's directions, as opposed to our usual method of 'smiling', our index and middle fingers running down the center of our polarized helmet visors.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, SPARTAN."

"Likewise. It's been so long since I've seen one, I thought I was the last one left."

"You're not that lucky, A344."

"Well, that has yet to be seen." I said with a smirk.

All I got for a response was a grunt from Jun. He put his helmet on once more as a loud rumbling shook rocks down from the cavern roof.

"Doctor, we mustn't be too long. The charges are set to blow this lab to kingdom come in approximately 5 Minutes. I'll check the perimeter to make sure there are no stragglers." Jun replaced his sniper rifle in his hands and turned to walk out of the lab through the open blast doors. Halsey and I kept our eyes on Jun until he left our line of vision.

"Ok. Rosie, there's something that I need to tell you. 2 things I need to tell you, as a matter of fact."

Dr. Halsey looked around the metallic room with eyes that conveyed of her knowledge of the futility of the defense of the besieged human colony of Reach. It was as if she was certain that the Covenant would overrun the planet's defenses and destroy humanity's footprint with their purple glassing beams fitted to their CCS Class Warships. The sleek, purple ships came to mind for a brief moment as I gazed upon the Doctor overlooking all of her monochromatic equipment for what was likely the last time. She sighed on a decibel level that someone without my heightened hearing would not be able to hear. Her eyes moved from the equipment to my face, the stern expression not leaving for my benefit.

"Do you remember anything about your sister?" She asked after a brief pause.

"Bits and Pieces, Ma'am. Shediddie when I was three." I said with a small chuckle. Humor was my best coping mechanism for that particular situation.

"I thought as much. I figure now is the most optimal time that we're going to have for me to tell you about this."

"About what, Ma'am?" I said in an unusually curt tone that was a rarity for me.

Once again, Halsey paused. She briefly looked down, and took a deep breath. After a moment, she looked up again once more.

"About who your sister was, or is."

I was taken aback by this sudden revelation. Doctor Halsey knew about my dead sister? Why did she correct herself to speak in the present tense? These were two of the thousands of questions that ran rampant in the fabric of my mind. After allowing the lump in my throat to settle, I decided on the question that seemed the most pertinent.

"What do you mean, 'is', Doctor?" I asked in a calm voice that effectively hid the anxiety that her statement shot throughout my person, a quality extremely unusual in a Spartan, superoldiers who were meant to be unfeeling mechanisms of war. However, I was not like everyone else.

Not one to follow the chain of command or respect authoritative figures, I was constantly being moved from squad to squad. I already know that, had I been a regular marine, I would've received a Dishonorable Discharge by now. However, given my "augmented" status, I was still viewed as a vital part of the war effort and placed in a position that I would not get in the way of other, more acquiescent brethren of mine: The personal bodyguard of Dr. Katherine Halsey.

We bonded over the past few months over things that no one had bothered to teach me as a child soldier. She taught me about how to fully appreciate the beauty and the world around us. I grew as both a soldier and person in my time with her. Finally, she taught me the most valuable lessons that a would-be unfeeling war machine like me would never have learned otherwise: How to live, not just to be alive. I learned how to love. Finally, I learned how the most important lesson of all: how to be human.

"Your sister is a testament to one of the biggest sins that I have ever committed. If there indeed is a God, then He surely is waiting for me on the other side with a vengeance."

"I don't understand, Doctor." I said shakily, not aware of my constant interruptions and their impediments on Dr. Halsey's story.

"Do you realize how the Spartan program came to fruition? What was the spark that lit the flame in which you were forged?"

"Yes, Ma'am. The Spartan II program, spearheaded by yourself and CPO Mendez."

"Precisely. Well, in the infancy of that program, I did many atrocious things. Things that are morally unsound, yet were necessary for the good of mankind. I tore apart families for the sake of bringing the galaxy together."

"What do you mean, Doctor?" I was afraid to speculate where exactly this was leading. I had a good idea, but I was afraid to dwell on it, afraid that I would be proven right.

Halsey looked up at the jagged, gray rock ceiling of the lab, staying silent for a moment.

"Have you ever heard of the Spartan II named Linda 058?"

A smile crossed my lips as the name escaped hers. She was a legend, the idol of which I centered around my entire career as a United Nations Space Command sniper.

"Of course I do, Ma'am. She'sonlythe greatest shot in the galaxy!" I said, not doing well to conceal the joy that I felt inside of me at the utterance of the name.

Halsey smiled, but only momentarily. Her grave expression returned as she continued to tell of Linda.

"Do you know who the second greatest Sniper in the UNSC is?"

Once again, Halsey had given me reason to beam a smile, this time with pride for myself.

"Last I checked, I was the one who held the Number 2 spot. I have all of her statistics saved in my database, and I am always trying to meet them, and surpass them. I have a setting on my HUD that gives me a notification for every time that I come close to beating a record of hers."

Once again, another chuckle from Halsey.

"Would you believe me if I told you that there was a particular reason that you were on Par with Linda?"

"That would depend on what reasoning you gave me, Ma'am."

"What if I told you that she was your sister?"

It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. Her words were a figurative punch in the gut, and I didn't know how to recover. Halsey noticed this, and wasted no time in continuing.

"Rosie, there are many things that I have done, things that I have no way of redeeming myself of. You were the way out for me. I thought that, if I could try and make you into the best human being you could possibly be, then maybe I would be able to sleep at night. I'm terribly sorry that I kept this from you for so long. I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

I stuttered, struggling to find the words to convey how I felt at this new revelation that came from Halsey.

"Rosie, I know this is a shock to you, but there is a much larger matter at hand. I trust you overheard the conversation that Noble team and I had together over the issue of Cortana?"

I bowed my head down, still reeling. Despite my being a human, I was still a soldier, and I knew that a soldier's main priority is to follow orders.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"I'm sure you know the importance of the AI that Noble is currently charged with protecting. I call her Cortana, and she has more data than any other in the UNSC. I think it goes without saying that she is currently the most valuable asset on Reach. That being said, we cannot risk her falling into Covenant hands."

"What do I need to do, Ma'am?" I asked sternly.

"I want you to follow Noble team as they make their journey to the Pillar Of Autumn's docking bay. No matter what happens, you must keep a low profile so that the integrity of the mission is not compromised by any…psychological factors. They must complete their mission with any kind of outside influence. You are only to monitor and ensure the safety of Cortana, not Noble. They can handle themselves. But just in case something goes wrong, you must retrieve the AI and take it to the Pillar of Autumn. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Keeping an expression to match the Doctor's, I replaced my helmet over my head. The systems came online once more as the helmet attached to the rest of my armor. I placed my sniper rifle in my hands, and instinctively ran my hand down my thigh to ensure that my M6 Magnum was in its proper pouch within my armor. Halsey's form was highlighted a green color to signify that she was a friendly.

"Good luck, Spartan. Do what you do best. Be seen and only heard."

My brain still throbbing from the revelation that my idol was in fact my sister whom I thought to be dead. I now had the hellish task of ensuring that this emotional strain would not compromise my own mission. I took a deep breath, and voiced my understanding of her words. Despite her directions, I elected to remain silent as well and equipped a silencer to the barrel of my rifle to maintain total stealth.

"Didn't you hear, Doctor? Spartans make their own luck."


	2. Six's Shadow Chapter 2

All I received was the sight of Halsey pushing back her silver hair and a small smile.

"For all of your sakes, Rosie, I hope that you are right. Be careful, dear." I was taken aback by her use of the term 'dear'. Halsey, always such a stoic and somber individual, had never used a term of endearment in my presence, much less to me.

I turned to the entrance of the lab and began to walk out, my heavy MJOLNIR boots thumping along, echoing with each step that I took. At the last possible moment, I stopped dead and turned around to face Halsey once more, garnering her attention again.

"Doctor, if we ever meet again," I began, briefly looking down at the ground. "I want you to tell me about Linda."

"Rosie, I was under the impression that you had all of her credentials on ha—."

"No. Not the soldier. The person she was—is. Promise me, Dr. Halsey."

"You have my word, Rosie."

With this promise in my heart, a new reason to stay alive, I ventured out of the lab, taking care to stay out of sight of the Spartan, Jun. I looked around the icy cavern that served as a threshold to the lab, silently coming to terms with the fact that I would never see it again. I took a deep breath and shouldered my rifle, replacing it with my M6 Magnum, a much more suitable weapon for close combat. I did not make it far when I found a sight that was enough to make a grown marine cry: a dark green, four-wheeled ATV, commonly called a Mongoose by servicemen in the UNSC. Elated, I hurriedly jumped onto the leather seating of the vehicle and powered it on.

This is gonna make keeping up much easier.

I sped through the underground roadways that I knew led up to the now-decimated military installation above, dubbed Sword Base by UNSC brass. I kept the headlights on the Mongoose off to make certain that I would not give the enemy any other indication of my location aside from the echoing noises of my vehicle throughout the tunnel. I could bank on any Covenant hearing me, but not seeing me. This being the case, I would have the advantage of creating a sense of unrest in any Covenant hearts with me in the tunnel.

When you're scared, you make stupid mistakes. All rationality goes out the window. Your mind sees and hears things that aren't there. If there are any others in the area, I'll prey on these things. They won't know that I'm not one of the illusions until it's too late to act.

Thankfully, there was no such entities in the cave. I sped through to the exit without exit, and skidded to a halt at the opening, kicking up a large cloud of red dust under me that billowed around. As soon as the dust cleared, I raised my rifle and looked through the scope, skimming the horizon and the red, rocky landscape for any indication of my escorts. Finally, such a sight made itself apparent to me.

A large, bulky, grey Pelican transport made itself clear sailed into the horizon and smoking from damage, being trailed by a pair of sleek, purple Banshee fighters. There was a barrage of light blue plasma rounds being ejected from the Banshees in Noble Teams' Pelican's direction. The Spartan that I knew only as Noble 6 and his counterpart, Emile, stood at the back of the Pelican with its bay door open. Emile had equipped his shotgun and began firing futilely at the distant Bansees. Noble 6 had done the same with his black Designated Marksman Rifle, having better luck at landing shots on the smooth purple hull of the ships. However, much like Emile, he failed to put them down.

I sighed, and revved the engine of the Mongoose. I looked around to ensure that I had not garnered any unwanted attention. Satisfied that there was none to speak of, I sped in the same direction of the doomed Pelican. Little did I know that this was to be the start of the most definitive moment of my young life. Any innocence that I had on the dawn of that day would die by its end, and I would truly know the meaning of being weighed down by the past, and what it cost to be truly human.


	3. Six's Shadow Chapter 3

He was the last one. The other two, whose names were Emile and Carter (the one I perceived tobe the leader of Noble) had been killed in their attempt to transport the AI Cortana onto the _Halcyon_ Class UNSC ship dubbed The _Pillar of Autumn_.Carter had sacrificed himself to savehis comrades from a quadruped tank that the Covenant possessed entitled a Scarab. He slammedthe Pelican that Noble 6 and Emile had abdicated in order to reach their objective on foot while aheavily wounded Carter stayed on board to provide air support and reconnaissance.

There came a time when, as they proceeded through a canyon, said Scarab came aroundthe side of a large rock formation. Not being equipped with the proper equipment to battle such aheavily armored foe, Carter took it upon himself to defend his comrades one last time. I watchedthrough my scope as he slammed the Pelican into the side of the Scarab, resulting in a brilliantflash of bright blue plasma and flames. I watched the final two members of Noble gaze on inwhat I could only imagine was shock at their Leader's epic and visually spectacular sacrifice.

After a small pause, they began to advance once more past the wreckage. Neither of themtook the time to look back at the wreckage, and for good reason. I took the scope away from myface and hopped back onto my Mongoose, riding along the edge of the canyon's rim far awayenough that they could not hear me, even with their enhanced hearing. I had barely advanced 20 Meters when I stumbled upon a Covenant Patrol led by two Elites.

The group, aside from its leaders, was comprised of 8 Grunts. The Elites towered over theGrunts at a staggering seven feet, a sharp contrast to their squat five-foot bodies. The small aliens were hunched over as they walked, a harness and a methane apparatus wrapped around their upper back and mouths. Their bodies had a brown tint, once again contrasting the dark greycolor of their Elite leaders.

The Elites, known among themselves as Sangheili (as the Grunts were formally known as Unggoys), led the group at the front, as per the Sangheili code of honor. I quickly leapt off theMongoose and hid behind the closest rock. I swung my rifle off my back and placed one of theElites in my sights. He warily looked from side-to-side, and briefly conversed with his partnerabout something unbeknownst to me. I cared not, however. I steeled myself and raised mycrosshairs to place them over the Elite's helmet. His armor was a dark blue, glinting off Reach'ssun.

He moved his mouth (similar to a human's, but split into 2 sections at the jaw) frantically,then turned to face the front of the path once more. One of the Grunts seemed to upset him,causing him to turn back and raise the butt of his rifle to strike him. I took several practice shots,moving from the head of one Elite to the other as he moved to strike his subordinate. As the riflemoved within inches of the Grunt's crown, I pulled the trigger, sending the bullet soaringthrough the air without the sound of a gunshot ringing through it. Because of this, I would remain invisible for the next eighth of a second. The bullet landed, disabling his energyshield and sending a spray of purple blood onto the deceased Elite's comrades.

The Grunts, as per their normal cowardly nature, panicked and ran to cover behind theclosest rocks. The empty shell, still smoking, was ejected from the chamber of my rifle and did three spins in the air before falling onto the dirt below me, creating a small cloud of dustaround it for a split second.

I paid it no mind, however. The Elite sprinted and strafed behind a large boulder,scanning the surrounding area for me with his dark blue plasma rifle, a small U-shaped weaponthat glowed a bright blue at the end of the top of the weapon. It had deep purple markingsengraved in its body, markings that I did not care to understand. All that I cared about wascompleting my mission and taking care of anything impeding said completion.

 _Sure, but why are you doing that, Rosie? To be a better soldier, a better person, or betterthan Linda?_ A little voice that mimicked my own told me.

I grunted and refused to let my own subconscious thoughts get the best of me. In a rage, Ifired a blind shot at one of the Grunts that had yet to find a hiding position that I could exploit.My bullet hit his methane tank, sending him to the ground. The immense pressure inside of histank erupted, sending his lifeless body spinning in circles and finally into the air as the tankexploded entirely.

"Pathetic. Wasting my rounds on a Grunt. I could've run down there and picked him offwith my Magnum. Whatever." I chided myself.

I placed my attention back on the Elite, whose armor glinted red, just as he poked hishead from cover. I refused to allow such a transgression against my accuracy and skill to pass. Ipulled the trigger just as my crosshairs fell between the center of his helmet, and fired oncemore. His energy shield flared a bright blue before disappearing, and the bullet sent his headjerking back. He fell to the ground, sending his leaderless subordinates into a panic unlike any they had experienced before.

Without missing a beat, I hopped onto the back of the Mongoose and placed my rifle on my back, replacing with my silver M6 Magnum. I drove down from my perch and, while keeping one hand on the handlebar for the Mongoose, took potshots at the fleeing Grunts. Some decided to be brave and stand their ground, so I decided to handle them first. Their bright green balls of plasma from their plasma pistols whizzed past me. Two hit and depleted the energyshield on my armor to 50%, prompting me to drive even faster around them. I fired at them until my pistol's chamber clicked to indicate it was empty.

Not seeing the opportunity to reload, I powered off the Mongoose and dove off of the vehicle amidst plasma fire. I grabbed the nearest Grunt and delivered a punch from my armored fist to his face, killing him instantly. He flew back several feet, and I proceeded to take the plasma pistol that it had dropped onto the ground. Not missing a beat, I turned to the nearest Grunt and fired three balls of plasma into its chest, sending it flailing to the ground. I picked up its pistol as well and made short work of their comrades.

I dropped the pistols and hopped onto my Mongoose once more, reloading my own Magnum before departing. I continued driving forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of my targets.It didn't take long for me to locate them once more, them having been stalled by a squad of the fierce, ape-like Covenant warriors known as Brutes, their formal name being Jiralhanae. On the verge of being overwhelmed, I was strongly tempted to offer supporting fire.

I recalled my orders shortly thereafter, and was torn. After a long deliberation, I decided to let the soldier in me overtake the human being, and my rifle remained cold as I watched the two Spartans inch forward, slowly eliminating their enemies. I felt sickened at my choice, knowing that it was not the most morally sound option.

This dilemma came upon me once more when the two finally reached their destination:the docking bay that held thePillar of Autumn.Upon their entry, they came upon two Hunters guarding the entrance to the shipyard. The two large creatures were in fact several; they were alive, comprised of several smaller orange slugs. Protecting these creatures was near-impenetrable armor of a blue color that made the Hunters (formally known as the Lekgolo) an almost-insurmountable foe. The only way to defeat them, as any wise soldier knew, was an accurate assault on the undefended area on the small of the Hunter's back. I watched through my scope as the two made quick work of exploiting this weakness, taking care to avoid the large Plasma Beams that their arm-fitted cannons shot out in rapid succession. Within two minutes, both were on the ground, dead, and my comrades were on their way. They passed through the walls of the shipyard, and I lost my visual on them.

I quickly walked around the metal exterior of the shipyard, desperately trying to regain said visual. As I tried, several rounds of gunfire could be heard from inside the complex, mostly the shotgun of Emile and the assorted weaponry of Noble 6. After a small intermission, I reached an overpass on which I could see the events that transpired. It was over as soon as I began to watch it. Emile had commandeered the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon (A large cannon that magnetized large, explosive metal rods and shot them at targets) next to the control center of the shipyard while Noble 6 cleared the docking bay below for some purpose unbeknownst to me.Once again, I was tempted to provide covering fire for Noble 6 and Emile, but I was restrained by what Halsey told me. This seemed to not be a problem for my comrades, however. They effectively cleared the area, or so I thought.

An Elite that Emile did not see came from behind and drew his energy sword, a bright-blue, dual-bladed sword made of plasma, save for the metal hilt. I decided, in that moment, that I

would forego my care for orders and save him. I placed the Elite in my sights and did not hesitate to pull the trigger: the bullet fired too late to save Emile.

The bullet missed its target as the Elite lunged forward, impaling Emile from behind and raising him into the air. Emile seemed prepared to die, however.

"I'm ready! How about you?!" Emile asked his final adversary at the top of his lungs.

I watched through my scope as Emile unsheathed the combat knife that he kept over his chest-plate armor, and swung himself around, knocking both himself and the Elite to the ground. I continued watching as he violently stabbed the Elite until he stopped moving, then stopped himself.

Tears streamed my face. I had never missed a target before in the battlefield. Because I had missed, a person had died.


	4. Six's Shadow Chapter 4

_I bet Linda's never missed before._ I said. Quickly, I recanted, knowing fully well how childish I sounded.

 _Who cares? Linda isn't here. You are. Linda would tell you to shut up, be a good littlesister and be your own person. She would tell you to stop living in her shadow, and be the best human being you can be._

Unable to dry the tears on my face, I allowed them to dry as I looked on at the scene thathad since transpired. Noble 6 had given the AI Cortana to a UNSC official that I did notrecognize (I would later realize that he was in fact the captain of the _Pillar_ _of Autumn_ ,CommanderJacob Keyes). A small dialogue came up between the two of them, the only part of which was when I heard Keyes tell Noble 6, "Good Luck, Spartan." Before flying back to thePillar of Autumn.

"What are you doing, Spartan?" I asked under my breath.

"What's necessary." I heard a gruff, androgynous voice (I never knew the true gender of Noble 6) reply, a voice I recognized as Noble 6's. "I'd appreciate it if you offered me some covering fire while I protect the _Pillar of Autumn_."

A smile crossed my lips as I comprehended his request. Not a split second had passed before I replied.

"6, I'd like nothing better."

As if scripted, a slew of Covenant troops poured through the opening of the Shipyard,closing in on Noble 6's position. I put down the first two Elites that crossed the threshold, putting the Grunts behind them in a panic. In haste, they activated their plasma grenades and ran towards 6.

 _Suicide Grunts._

I picked three of them, downed them, and Noble 6 did the rest of thework. Together, the two of us cleared a path to the MAC cannon. Once there, several Covenant Banshee fighters descended and attempted to impede on Noble 6's protective services. As he informed me, his objective was to protect the _Pillar of Autumn_ as it prepared to fly off of thedoomed planet of Reach and into the black vastness of space.

He had no trouble in shooting them down, not giving them the opportunity to return firewith their Plasma Fuel Rod Cannons (identical to the ones fitted onto the arms of the Hunters).All fell to the ground below in bright blue flames. I thought that the battle was over when I saw a large CCS Class Covenant ship fly into eyeshot nearby, the center beginning to glow a bright blue: the telltale sign that they were preparing to 'glass' the area around.

Glassing was a common thing for the Covenant to do when they had conquered a planet.They would pull all of their forces off-world, strategically place their CCS cruisers over specificpositions, and unleash a hellish display of technological prowess. Wide, purple beams of hot plasma would shoot onto the surface of the planet, immediately killing anyone in the vicinity and melting the surface(and covering the area) in a glass casing. They would perform this brutally meticulous task all across the planet. They would shoot down their beams, sometimes in-atmosphere, sometimes from orbit, and slowly lurch side-by-side in a line, glassing large sectionsof the planet at a time.

They would continue until the entire planet was encased in a layer of hot glass. They didthis to ensure that there was no shred of humanity was left after they had eliminated any of theUNSC forces there. We had known by now that their goal in this war was not to enslave thehuman race, or take our resources, or our planets. No, the goal of the Covenant in their waragainst Humanity was much simpler than that: total and complete genocide. They wished only toremove humans from the face of the galaxy, as part of their religious figures' (called Prophets, orthe San'Shyuum, formally) path to what they called the "Great Journey".

Noble 6 wasted no time in attempting to prevent the beam from being fired. Hemagnetized his MAC cannon and fired one round after the other, all being direct hits on theGlassing Beam. After 7 such shots, the entire ship exploded in a brilliant light, and sunk to theground. At that moment, Noble 6 got confirmation that the ship was preparing to leave.

"This is your last chance, Spartan. If you ride your Mongoose off of the edge of the cliff,you should hit into the loading bay that's still open on the side. You'll need to hurry."

"No. I'm not leaving you. I'm going to stay and fight." I said.

"That wasn't a suggestion."

"Neither was mine."

Noble 6 remained silent for a small period. He then nodded and (miraculously) lookedover to my position.

"What's your name, Spartan?"

"Rosenda A344. What about you?"

"My name is—"

The deafening roar of thePillar of Autumn deafened his answer, and I didn't have time to ask again. A U-Shaped Covenant troop transport, dubbed a Spirit, began to fly down onto the edge of the docking bay.

"A344, I don't know about you, but I don't have the ammunition to fight off another wave of troops. We need to go."

The Pillar of Autumnrose up in the air and flew towards space, becoming smaller and smaller until it disappeared.

"Our objective's complete, A344. Let's go."

"I'll be right down there with my Mongoose."

"En Route." Noble 6 said.

We rendezvoused at the end of the canyon where I had made my sniping perch. He hopped on the back of the Mongoose, armed only with his Magnum.

"I need your sniper rifle." He demanded.

"At least say please, first." I said half-jokingly.

" _Now_ ,A344."

I sighed and took my rifle off of my back, placing it in 6's hands. He checked the ammunition and leaned his back against mine, looking through the scope.

"Let's go. They'll be right on top of us soon." He said with an air of authority, similar to his usual voice, but more tactful.

"Understood." I said, trying in vain to mimic his tone.

I revved the engine of the Mongoose and rushed forward, as fast as the vehicle wouldunder our combined weight. We didn't make it far before a pair of Covenant speeders, called Ghosts, unleashed a spray of Plasma fire from the dual cannons attached to thefront of their vehicles. I only looked back just in time to see Noble 6 fire two accurately-placed shots that eliminated both of the pilots behind us, permanently silencing the gunfire.

We reached an old outpost that was littered with both the bodies of Spartans and Covenant alike. There was a platform in the center of the carnage that was home to three human machine gun emplacements.

"How are you on fuel?"

I looked down at the fuel gauge on the dashboard of the ATV and saw that the needle wason 'E'. I swore under my breath at my negligence of such a problem.

"We're running on fumes."

"Ok. We make our stand here then. This is our last defensive position."


	5. Six's Shadow Finale

I felt as if I had the wind taken out of me. The idea of death had never really grasped meas much as it did in that moment, My chest felt empty with the regret of the past and theapprehension of the future. I had never gave much thought, and wasn't ready to in that instance.This was mostly due to the fact that I felt that I had wasted a good part of my life fighting to stayalive and better my unseen rival, my unseen sister. Where had that gotten me?

 _Nowhere. Your life has amounted to nothing more but a pile of bodies, shell casings, and lust._

I laid myself in a prone position, putting Noble 6 in my sights. A cloud of dust blew overthe land, clouding any far-range capabilities. All I could see was dim shadows, ones that I could

not totally trust. Regardless, I stayed alert for Noble 6's sake, knowing that our survival of the next few minutes would depend on us staying alive to protect one another.

It didn't take long before the Covenant found us. They dropped an entire battalion oftroops down just a few meters from our position, armed to the teeth. Strategy did not seem to betheir top concern, as most of them charged head on. They formed a loose circle around Noble 6,apparently not aware of my presence. Elites, Grunts and the bird-like soldiers dubbed Jackals(Kigyar, in actuality) overcharged their plasma pistols, threw plasma grenades, and fired fromplasma rifles in Noble 6's direction.

On the platform, momentarily hidden by the dust and the long pole in the center thatoffered structural support, was a mounted machine gun. Noble saw this before I did, andproceeded to tear it from its tripod and began an onslaught of bullets wherever he saw plasmafire originate. I assisted in providing covering fire for 6, picking whatever shadows I saw thatwere firing and putting them down. I was forced to account for the wind resistance and otherfactors that may result in me missing. This resulted in a slower firing rate as I performed all ofthe necessary equations in my head.

For several minutes, the two of us continued our onslaught against our enemies, as theydid with us. Whenever Noble 6's machine gun ran out of bullets, he rammed it into the chest ofthe nearest Elite and tore another one off of its mount. I continued my firing until I saw, too late,a red dot appear just behind my position on the radar visible on my HUD. Before I could react, asearing hot blade rammed through the amor over my shoulder blade, its tip digging into the dirtunder me.

"Time to die, human vermin." I heard the unmistakable voice of an Elite just behind me.The blade slid out from my flesh, likely so my adversary could deliver the killing blow. I turned

onto my back, pulling out my M6 Magnum as I did so. The Elite had a look of shock over hisface as he saw me turn. I began to pull furiously on the trigger of my Magnum, not allowing theElite to recuperate. I didn't realize that I was screaming until my gun ran out of bullets. All of therounds pulsed off of the Elite's energy shield until it disappeared. The Elite dropped his sword,giving me the opportunity to scoop it from the ground and impale him through the abdomen.

"This is for Noble. Enjoy the Great Journey, you squid-faced bastard." He cringed, thenfell to the ground with the sword still in his stomach. I pulled it out, splashing some of his purpleblood on my boots as I did so. With a heavy heart, I laid back down on my stomach, wincing atthe still-fresh wound in my shoulder. I had just realized that my armor's sensors were screechingat my compromised shields and the armor breach. I paid no mind to it, only sealing my wound onboth sides with a can of Biofoam. I ignored the pain, only to realize that Noble 6 fared no betterthan I did.

His helmet had been damaged, prompting him to remove it. He had since jumped off theplatform, dual-wielding an MA5B Assault Rifle and an M6 Magnum. He fired at both sides ofhim, the number of enemies doubling since the last time I looked. I furiously fired at them as fastas I could, my rifle jamming several times. I continued to unjam it again and again, tryingdesperately to protect my comrade.

It was all for naught, however. Noble 6 ran out of ammunition just as a trio of Elites thatheld Energy Swords. He tackled one of them and swiped his sword, using it to slash at the Eliteclosest. I fired at the third Elite, effectively putting him down. Three more emerged, faster than Icould manage to fire, and tackle my heroic comrade to the ground. I fired as fast as I couldmanage, only to find that I had failed to take note of the low ammo count on my rifle. I put downtwo of the three Elites, my trigger only clicking on the third.

A small gasp passed my lips at It the realization that Noble 6 was about to die. Doing mybest to prevent such a tragedy, I armed myself with my M6 and began to fire down at the lastElite that had been joined with two others of his own kind. They seemed oblivious to me, armingthemselves with Energy swords. Despite this, Noble 6 was still tackled to the ground. I fired andreloaded my pistol several times, but to no avail. The three Elites mercilessly stabbed Noble 6until he was motionless, then turned to my direction.

The three Elites roared in unison and charged up the hill with their Energy Swords raised,set to kill. I swore under my breath, looking down the iron sights of my Magnum, letting my fullfury loose on the first Elite I laid eyes on. His energy shield flared and disappeared under mybullet storm. Purple blood splattered on the sand below as he crumpled below onto it. I scoopedup his Energy Sword and sliced into the armor of the nearest Sangheili warrior, knocking him into the ground next to his deceased comrade.

I knew not whether he was dead, and did not possess the time to check. I moved on to thethird Elite, who took a wide swing that sailed over my head as I slid down onto my knees. Thehead on my armor heated as the hot blade narrowly missed overhead, causing my shields tolower to 75% and my HUD to flare with warnings concerning my temperature. I concernedmyself not with it, however. I focused my own blade on my adversary and swung upwards.

The sword of the Elite countered my blade, to my surprise. Our eyes locked, illuminatedby the glowing of the locked blades. Our faces were only inches from each other. I was butinches from death, yet I never felt so alive.

"What will my death bring you, Demon?" He asked me in a guttural tone. "Glory? Honor among your superiors? No matter who may win this duel, my fate and honor are sealed. I am secured a place in the Great Journey. I will die honorably in battle with no regrets. Can you say the same?" He shoved his blade further into mine, trying to throw me off-balance.

He almost succeeded, my fall only prevented by a firm planting of my rear foot. I pushed back, a low growl emanating in my throat. What the Elite had uttered to me had gotten under myskin, and he likely knew it.

I swiftly slid my blade under his and rammed the flat edge of the blade into his abdomen.He growled and fell to the ground, dead. I looked around at the carnage surrounding me that thedestruction that both sides caused.

I looked around at the death and destruction that I had participated in causing. I stared atthe landscape, and met my gaze with the carnage that laid below at my feet. I felt the urge to cry,but couldn't, oddly enough. I didn't know what the matter was. All I knew was that I had never felt less human than I did in that moment.


End file.
